As we’ve struggled to make sense of our strange new reality in the age of the coronavirus, we’ve had to forgo facets of our lives that we might have taken for granted before, not limited to eating in restaurants, visiting with friends and family, and attending live music performances. Still, we’re adapting to this unprecedented time—and stay-at-home mandates—by getting creative: Through curbside pickups of our favorite meals and supporting our local institutions’ emergency funds, by video chatting and checking in with the people we care about, and by watching musicians perform music from their own homes. Sure, catching a livestreamed musical performance isn’t going to feel the same as going to a venue—but it’s a different experience altogether, intimate, special, and comforting all the same.

That’s why in our new series, “Texas Monthly Living Room Sessions,” we’ve invited some of our favorite Texas musicians to brighten our homebound days with their songs. In return, we’ve donated to a Texas charity of their choice. Check out the sessions here, and #GiveLikeATexan and donate if you can, too.

Carrie Rodriguez and Luke Jacobs

Carrie Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter from Austin, melds electrifying fiddle playing, searing vocals, and idiosyncratic interpretations of new and classic songs alike. Her most recent release, the critically acclaimed bilingual album Lola, was named one of NPR’s top fifty albums of the year. Recently, Carrie Rodriguez and Luke Jacobs, her partner in life and art, performed a couple of songs on Rodriguez’s Instagram account for “Texas Monthly Living Room Sessions” to benefit Central Texas Food Bank, which has seen a dramatic increase in need for their services in recent weeks. Here’s where you can donate to Central Texas Food Bank.

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Shawn Colvin

Three-time Grammy Award winner Shawn Colvin has been a vital voice in music for more than thirty years, with thirteen albums under her belt. Colvin was recognized for her career accomplishments in 2016 when she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association. In 2019, she was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, alongside legendary artists Lyle Lovett and Buddy Guy.

Colvin took a seat in her living room and, armed with her guitar, performed “Climb On (A Back That’s Strong)” on Instagram TV. She chose to dedicate her session to benefit SIMS Foundation, a charity that provides mental health and substance use recovery services for musicians, music industry professionals, and their families to support the well-being of the Austin music community. The SIMS Foundation has continued to provide mental health and substance abuse resources as they relate to COVID-19. Here’s where you can donate, if you’re inclined.

Ryan Bingham

Last week, the singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham performed his tune “Adventures Of You And Me” against a backdrop of string lights and wood panels in his kitchen. The mini concert, which Bingham broadcast on Instagram, was a part of the “Texas Monthly Living Room Sessions” and benefited the Central Texas Food Bank. In recent weeks, Bingham has been sharing a song every day via his Instagram TV channel — tune in here. And if you feel inclined, here is where you can donate to Central Texas Food Bank.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and stay tuned to see more artists on “Texas Monthly Living Room Sessions.”

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